The ANC’s transition team is working on a plan to restructure the presidency to give it overall power over funding allocations.
This would result in the new planning commission stripping the treasury of its final say over which government programmes receive funding.
Cabinet ministers and the ruling party’s alliance partners, Cosatu and the SACP, have complained over the years about how treasury’s disproportionate discretion and decision-making elevates it above other departments and is not always consistent with party priorities.
ANC national executive committee member Ayanda Dlodlo, a member of the transition team’s secretariat, said the commission will ensure that the ”medium-term strategic framework” is based on the party’s manifesto.
”The budget allocation will be in favour of the ANC’s priorities: crime reduction, rural development, education, health and job creation,” Dlodlo told the Mail & Guardian.
In the past money was allocated for government programmes according to ”who sells their programmes better”, she said.
”If one head of department was more articulate and better at selling his ideas, then they were approved.”
The treasury has always insisted that it is not sales patter, but solid plans that get funded.
The planning commission will be headed by the president and meet at strategic times during the year, especially during budget planning.
The ruling party is also planning to change its deployment strategy to include non-ANC members.
A new document prepared by the party’s deployment committee says appointment to state positions will now be open to all South Africans, including opposition party members.
”The document outlines deployment in many different categories,” said Dlodlo, who also serves on the deployment committee.
”Even Joe Soap who is not in the ANC will be in line for deployment. It will go beyond party political affiliations; we need to get the best people.”
Dlodlo emphasised that Jacob Zuma’s presidency coincides with a global recession which is ”way beyond his control”.
”What he can control is to ensure that service delivery takes place. It will depend on us, the deployment committee, to tell him these are the people who can best assist with that.
”Zuma is going to look extra-bad in the eyes of certain sectors of the public if he doesn’t deliver. The ANC cannot short-change itself.”
Dlodlo said, however, that the ANC will ”start with its own people”.
Heading the secretariat’s transition team is Limpopo’s finance minister, Collins Chabane. In addition to Dlodlo it includes the government’s head of policy, Joel Netshitenzhe, and Cosatu’s Neil Coleman.
The broader team includes Zuma, SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande, Housing Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, KwaZulu-Natal heavyweight Zweli Mkhize and businessperson Max Sisulu.
ANC leaders in Luthuli House are envisaged as playing a more hands-on role in monitoring the performance of government ministers.
”We have to keep the reins tight and pull them back when they step out of line,” said a Luthuli House official. ”Before, they could do whatever they wanted, and although they broadly followed ANC policies, there were some things we did not agree with.
”They must be reminded that it is the ANC that wins elections, not the government.” The official said the party is determined to implement Zuma’s threat to fire under-performing ministers. Youth leader Julius Malema is expected to be part of this process.
Said the official: ”The ANC has decided to keep key people in Luthuli House and Malema is one of them. He’s never been scared to say what he thinks, even in NEC [national executive committee] meetings.
”He’ll be expected to continue with that and help hold government to account.”
The official added that in the past, ”heads would get chopped off” if members dared to disagree, adding: ”This structure is to protect them against a backlash.”
The election has brought home to the ANC that delivery is the only way it can ensure that its stays in power.
”Look how many seats we lost in Parliament — it shows that this loyalty voting thing is fading away.
”We now have to make sure that we deliver so that we have something to show people the next time round.”
Key state appointments imminent
Jacob Zuma’s new administration is preparing to make strategic appointments to key state institutions, including Transnet and the SABC.
Since the ANC’s election victory the party’s top brass has been locked in meetings over ”deployments” to top positions in state entities.
It is understood that a number of potential candidates have been approached.
Some of the posts in question have been vacant for months. The ANC instructed the government not to proceed with appointments until after the elections.
Last week Parliament placed newspaper advertisements calling for the nomination of a new Public Protector and commissioners for the South African Human Rights Commission and the Public Service Commission.
Transnet
The Transnet board has proposed South African Revenue Service chief Pravin Gordhan to succeed Maria Ramos as chief executive.
However, it is understood that the ANC wants Metrorail boss Lucky Montana or Transnet rail freight chief executive Siyabonga Gama for the job.
Montana and Gama have long experience in the freight and transport industry and have played a notable role in the restructuring of Transnet over the years.
Some in the ANC argue that Gama lacks Montana’s political clout. The ANC Youth League has also thrown its weight behind Montana.
However, Metrorail is expected to put up a fight to hold on to him.
SAA
Former SAA head of subsidiaries Vuyisile Kona has emerged as a strong candidate for chief executive of the national carrier.
The position fell vacant after Khaya Ngqula resigned in March, following allegations of tender irregularities.
ANC sources believe Kona, who has worked in the airline industry for 10 years, six of them at SAA, is well-equipped to reverse SAA’s losses.
In 2006 he made headlines when he sued SAA for R3,3-million after the parastatal allegedly reneged on a pledge to pay him part of his R4,7-million termination package.
SABC
The ANC has called for the SABC board to advertise the post of head of news, saying it has no preferred candidate for the post.
The board announced this week that it would not renew Snuki Zikalala’s contract as news chief when it expired at the end of April.
Zikalala was widely seen as favouring the Thabo Mbeki faction during the ANC’s internal battles.
”We would prefer the SABC to advertise, set up a credible team to do the screening and follow corporate governance procedures in appointing the head of news,” said ANC spokesperson Jessie Duarte. ”The ANC will not be involved.”
However, the SACP insists that the SABC board lacks the legitimacy to preside over a credible appointment process.
”This board must go,” said SACP spokesperson Malesela Maleka. ”Then Parliament can use the amended broadcasting Act to appoint a new, representative board which can appoint the group chief executive, chief operational officer and the head of news.”
Human Rights Commission
The term of the five existing commissioners — including chairperson Jody Kollapen, constitutional law expert Leon Wessels and churchman Tom Manthatha — expires at the end of September.
The parliamentary speaker’s office has advertised their posts. It is believed the ANC will push for commissioners with whom it can cultivate a better relationship.